1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to a surgical portal apparatus for accessing the body, and more particularly, relates to a surgical portal apparatus having variable seal adjustment capabilities for receiving endoscopic instruments of various diameters.
2. Background of Related Art
Trocar assemblies and other surgical portal apparatuses are used by surgeons to operate on a patient without having to create large incisions that may become infected and may cause major scaring. Portal apparatuses are known in the art, as are the instruments inserted therethrough for operating within the body cavity. Typically a surgical portal apparatus comprises two major components, a trocar sleeve including a housing and a cannula, and an obturator.
Accessing the body cavity using a surgical portal apparatus is a multi-step process. An incision is initially made in the skin using a scalpel or other cutting instrument. Some trocar assemblies may include a cutting blade or sharpened distal end for performing this function. The obturator, having been inserted into the sleeve of the trocar cannula, is directed through the incision in the skin. The obturator is then used to penetrate the skin and access the body cavity. By applying pressure against the proximal end of the obturator, the sharpened point of the obturator is forced through the skin until it enters the body cavity. The cannula is inserted through the perforation made by the obturator and the obturator is withdrawn, leaving the cannula as an access way to the body cavity.
In order to provide a greater space in which a surgeon may operate and to increase visibility of the tissue being operated on, the body cavity is generally insufflated. To avoid gas leakage from within the cavity prior to or during insertion of an instrument through the cannula, and as instruments are being removed and replaced, various seal members have been developed. Conventional access systems generally include one or more seals configured for use with endoscopic instruments of the same or similar diameters. In this manner, the instruments inserted through the system must be of substantially similar diameter; otherwise a proper seal will not form between the instrument and the housing. An improper seal may result in leakage of insufflation gas.
However, not all endoscopic instruments have similar diameters. An instrument for performing a procedure may have a different diameter from a second instrument for performing the same procedure, just as instruments for performing various procedures may also have different diameters. Successful completion of a procedure may require the use of various instruments throughout the procedure. Thus, completing a procedure using multiple endoscopic instruments may require the use of multiple access systems, wherein system is configured for receiving an instrument of different diameter.
Therefore, it would be beneficial to have a surgical portal apparatus that is configured to sealingly receive endoscopic instruments of different diameters.